1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to image data registering apparatus and method, a storage medium, and a program product, for registering image data stored in a detachable memory.
2. Related Background Art
An image input/output (I/O) apparatus connected to a host computer through a network receives PDL (page description language) data such as document data, image data, or the like formed on-the host computer and transmitted therefrom, develops it from the received PDL to a bit map image, stores it onto a built-in hard disk, reads out the image data from the built-in hard disk, and prints it out.
The built-in hard disk is logically divided and the divided area can be allocated to an individual or a group. The divided area allocated as mentioned above is called a personal box.
The personal box on the hard disk built in the image I/O apparatus is designated from the host computer and print data can be stored in the designated personal box. However, to read out the print data stored in the personal box, it is necessary that a password for accessing to the personal box is inputted from an operating unit of the image I/O apparatus. It is possible to prevent a risk such that the print data is printed out by a third party who does not know the password.
According to such an image I/O apparatus, the print data can be deleted by the manual operation from the operating unit of the image I/O apparatus lest there is no empty area of the personal box is eliminated due to the accumulated print data, and after the elapse of a preservation term which has been preset for the personal box, the accumulated data can be automatically deleted.
There has also been known an image input/output apparatus such that in addition to such a function, an image data file and a DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) file is read out from a removable external storage medium for use in storage of an image file by a digital camera and stored onto a hard disk built in the image I/O apparatus, and the image data can be read out from the hard disk and printed out.
The DPOF is a format for recording auto print-out information (property). The DPOF file (property file) is a text file. Information regarding a user name, an address, a telephone number, kind of print, the number of sheets, a format of the image file, etc. is included in the DPOF file. As features of the DPOF file, the following features can be mentioned: namely, a structure is simple; a burden on equipment is light; it does not depend on an image format or a directory structure; one DPOF file has properties of a plurality of image files; and an arbitrary recording medium such as CF, smart media, FD, or the like can be used.
An image input/output apparatus which can directly read out the print data stored in the removable external storage medium as mentioned above does not exist. On the host computer side, the print data is read out of the removable external storage medium and the read-out print data is transmitted to the image I/O apparatus. Print conditions are set from the host computer or the operating unit of the image I/O apparatus. As mentioned above, it is very inconvenient to use the removable external storage medium as a storage medium of the image I/O apparatus itself.
The image files stored in the personal boxes from the removable external storage medium are-preserved only for a predetermined fixed preservation term and automatically deleted after the elapse of the preservation term, so that the user cannot manage the preservation term of the print data.